In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

The day after the warehouse theft, the entire Yanjing County government office was shrouded in an atmosphere of outward relaxation but inward tension.

After two days of careful dressing changes, Yang Xuan's back injury, though not yet fully healed, had formed a thick scab, allowing him to walk with difficulty.

He refused the suggestion to rest in bed, put on a large blue robe, and went directly to the council hall in the backyard.

Inside the hall, Cui Shen, Pei Zhao, Han Jitong, Wen Bo, and Yan He, who had just established the rules in the inner quarters, were all present.

Everyone's expression was somewhat solemn.

That military tag from Zhechong Prefecture was like a sharp sword hanging over everyone's heads, ready to fall at any moment.

Yang Xuan walked to the main seat and sat down, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"You've all seen it, haven't you?" He pointed to the somewhat worn cast iron military badge on the table, his tone as calm as if he were discussing a trivial matter that had nothing to do with him.

"The Tian and Hu families are not only wealthy, but they can also command skilled military personnel. We were able to defend against them last night because Chen Ye was vigilant and Pei Zhao was highly skilled. But what if ten or twenty such people came tonight?"

The hall was deathly silent.

Pei Zhao's brows furrowed tightly. He knew very well that with the current defensive capabilities of the county government, if it were to be ambushed by dozens of military experts, it would be certain death.

"My lord," Uncle Wen stepped forward, breaking the silence, "Now that we have the money, the next step is to use it to buy our lives back."

"That's right." Yang Xuan nodded. "The reason I called everyone here today is to determine the path we will take next."

He extended three fingers and tapped them lightly on the table.

"The salt wells are yielding profits, and the warehouses are being robbed at night. This shows that we in Yaozhou have gone from 'begging for food' to 'eating meat.' Since we want to eat meat, we must have the ability to protect it. From today onwards, the county government's resource allocation and operational focus must shift entirely to 'cultivating power.'"

Yang Xuan's gaze swept across everyone's faces one by one.

"I divided the first salt profit into four parts: building up the team, replenishing medicinal materials, gathering information, and cultivating relationships. These four things must be done simultaneously; none can be neglected."

"Pei Zhao!" Yang Xuan called out Pei Zhao's name first.

"Your subordinate is here!" Pei Zhao stepped forward and clasped his hands in response.

"Take the two thousand strings of cash from the secret account." Yang Xuan's eyes revealed a cold decisiveness. "I don't care what methods you use, within ten days, assemble a force of fifty elite men. I don't want those street thugs who only bully the weak and fear the strong; I want men who have seen blood, dare to fight, and can obey military orders. Swords, spears, halberds, bows, crossbows, leather armor—buy what you can. If you can't buy them, ask Cui Shen to find a way to get them. If you don't have enough money, come back to me."

Pei Zhao took a deep breath; he knew how heavy this burden was.

Fifty brave warriors—this requires not only money, but also vision and skill.

"Rest assured, my lord, even if I have to turn the black market around Yaozhou upside down, I will definitely find all the people for you!"

"Cui Shen." Yang Xuan turned to Cui Shen.

"The student is here," Cui Shen said, bowing.

"You're in charge of keeping the accounts stable and the county government running smoothly," Yang Xuan instructed. "Use the money in the public accounts to smooth things over with everyone in the county government. At the same time, you and Han Jitong should use the funds in the open accounts to spread my network of informants throughout the city and beyond. I need to know the movements of the Tian family, the Hu family, the brokers, the porters, and even the prefecture as soon as possible. This is called 'gathering information.'"

"Furthermore," Yang Xuan paused, his tone becoming meaningful, "you should spread the word that the county government is rebuilding the armory and salt well facilities, and is recruiting craftsmen with high salaries. No matter what kind of craftsman, as long as they have good skills, they will be treated well."

Cui Shen understood immediately; he knew that Yang Xuan was laying the groundwork for controlling the production process of Qing'ao Well.

"The student understands," Cui Shen replied.

"Yanhe." Yang Xuan looked at Yanhe one last time.

Yanhe nodded slightly, indicating that he was listening.

"The internal affairs of the inner quarters, the procurement of medicinal herbs, and the care of the wounded are all entrusted to you." Yang Xuan's tone softened slightly, but it also revealed an unquestionable trust. "With the remaining funds in the accounts, you must not only stabilize our own people, but also try to win over those lower-level merchants and women who have been wronged under the Tian family. This is called 'building relationships'."

Yanhe understood what he meant. While the men were fighting on the front lines, she needed to use her unique feminine sensitivity and skill to weave a flexible net from the rear.

"Leave it to me," Yanhe replied briefly.

After the division of labor was clear, Yang Xuan stood up, walked to the front of the hall, and looked at the sky outside the door that was surrounded by high walls.

"We've already begun preparing the ability to buy lives." He turned to face the crowd, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "But life alone isn't enough. Now that we've come to Yaozhou, we can't spend our lives as county magistrates guarding a few salt wells. We'll use this money to buy the qualifications that allow us to expand!"

His words ignited a passion within everyone. Weren't they following Yang Xuan precisely to carve out a future for themselves in this chaotic world?

"My lord, whatever you say, we'll do!" Lu Cheng shouted, waving his fist.

"Good." Yang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. "Cui Shen, immediately draft an official document and submit it to the prefectural government in the name of the county government. Say that Yanjing County has uncovered a major smuggling case and seized a certain amount of stolen silver, and request the prefectural government to send someone to verify it. At the same time, imply in the document that the county government intends to revitalize the Yaozhou salt industry and hopes to get the support of the prefectural government."

Cui Shen was taken aback, then realized, "Young master, are you trying to make good terms with the prefecture? But what about the military token of the Zhechong Prefecture..."

"It's precisely because of the appearance of military license plates that we must take the initiative." Yang Xuan's lips curled into a cold smile. "The Tian family wants to use the military to pressure me, so I'll drag the prefectural government into it as well. I want the people in the prefecture to see that I, Yang Xuan, can not only uncover bad debts, but also bring them greater benefits. Only when all forces are involved and the waters are completely muddied will we have the opportunity to fish in troubled waters."

Yang Xuan's "driving a tiger to devour a wolf" strategy secretly alarmed everyone present.

This young magistrate was far more cunning and shrewd than they had imagined.

……

After the meeting concluded, the county government office, like a machine, began operating at full speed.

Pei Zhao, along with Lu Cheng and Chen Ye, carrying a huge sum of silver notes, quietly left the county government office and disappeared into the vast mountains outside Yaozhou City.

Cui Shen and Han Jitong stayed in the city, directing the constables to repair the county government office and post notices recruiting craftsmen. At the same time, they used the funds in the open account to secretly plant spies in taverns, teahouses, inns and other places where all sorts of people gathered.

Yanhe, meanwhile, was in charge of the inner quarters, handling all the internal affairs in an orderly manner.

She spent a lot of money to purchase a large amount of medicine and tonics, not only to help Yang Xuan and the injured guards recover, but also to buy extra to distribute to the poor people in the city who could not afford medical treatment, thus quietly winning their hearts.

The atmosphere in Yaozhou City became increasingly eerie.